Blazing Inferno
by JustAnOrdinaryWriter
Summary: Ever wonder how it feels to forget who you are and put in a world you don't recognize? That's how Red feels. Or at least, he thinks his name's Red. Unfortunately, he figures out that the world he is in is full of danger. Decrepit human figures that attack on sight. Skeletons that somehow know how to use bows! Spiders ten times their normal size! Exploding creatures! Can he survive?
1. Who am I?

Chapter 1

_Who am I_? This is the question the boy asked himself as he walked through the forest. Nothing looked familiar and the world seemed strange the longer he walked around. The grass was not raised up at all, except for excess growth in blotches around the ground. Otherwise, the grass remained perfectly flat. There were trees surrounding him as he walked, but they too were strange. The leaves were not as he expected, which was also a puzzle, as he couldn't remember anything. So, why would they feel out of place? They were perfectly square, cut into sections barely discernible except from the wind that moved them. The trunk of the tree was also a cube, the bark creating symmetrical lines up and down each block. He didn't know why, but this forest seemed to conflict with something in his brain. It nagged at him, like a rosebush among a valley of dead shrubs. This didn't fit.

He had woken up in a clearing somewhere in these woods he now wondered. The sun shone brightly on his bare back. His black pants were tattered and torn. At first, he thought he may have been involved in some sort of struggle, but he found no injuries on his person. He walked in black sneakers, and saw the world through square-shaped glasses, though they only half helped. Only one eye accounted for his vision. The other offered a blurred perspective of the forest, but it hardly affected him. It appeared that he primarily used his right eye to see anyway. He reached up and took a cap off his head to wipe the sweat from his brow. The cap was relatively simple in design. A black background with only a single word written in the middle above the peak. Red.

Hmm. He liked that sound of that. Perhaps that's what he'd call himself. Yes, he quite liked the sound of that. It was decided then, he would call himself Red. With a smile, he placed the cap back upon his head and continued his walk. He briefly thought of what he'd be looking for exactly. Maybe a town or city of some sort? These were terms he seemed to know and with it came images of buildings and people. That would be a good place to start. Hopefully someone would recognize him when he found one.

As he rounded a corner in the path he was walking between the rows of trees, he noticed a figure standing beneath one in the distance. He felt a pang of hope and joy and he quickened his pace towards the lone figure.

"Hello? Sir?" Red yelled out to the figure. It looked too tall and big to be a woman, or at least, so he hoped. Insulting the first person he'd seen all day probably wasn't a good first impression. The figure didn't seem to respond to him and just kept staring straight ahead, its back turned. _What could he be looking at?_

As he got closer to the figure, he noticed he wasn't really standing. The man was _hanging_ from one of the tree blocks! A rope disappeared into one of the blocks, stretching down into a hangman's knot. The man, now that Red was within a few feet, hung at an odd angle by the neck and his hand were bound behind his back. His skin was pale and clothes were torn and shredded. He had brown hair, at one point, and if Red had to guess, the man had to be in his early fifties. He felt a twinge of pity and sorrow for the man. Suffocating is one of the worst forms of death.

Suddenly, the man reached his hands out, struggling to make a sound from his open mouth. This man was still alive! He struggled and thrashed around, trying to somehow get loose from his bindings. Red looked around franticly, looking for something to cut the rope from the tree. A rock, a sharp branch, something! Something glinted in the sunlight by the tree trunk. Red flicked his head over to the glint and saw a sharp looking dagger next to a leather sheath.

Red quickly grabbed it. The man was still fighting, his feet swinging and hands flailing back and forth. He had to hurry. The rope was out of his reach though! He jumped up, but was only able to reach the height of the man's neck. He need a higher boost! He backed away from the tree trunk until he was at a good running distance. Then, he took off towards the trunk. With one mighty excess of energy, Red jumped and planted his right foot about halfway up the tree trunk. Then with a final push, propelled himself towards the rope that held the man. Dagger raised, he brought it down against the tight cord. There was an audible tearing noise as the knife slid through the rope easily, severing it's tie to the newly free man.

He fell to the ground with a thump, groaning and making harsh breathing sounds. Red landed on his feet easily and instantly went to help the man. The man thrashed around on the ground, trying to get loose from the rope that bound his hands. He quickly cut it and the man slowly rose to his feet.

"Whew. Sir are you all…" Red wasn't given the chance to finish his sentence.

In less than a second, the man turned on him, throwing himself at Red. Unprepared, Red felt the dagger slip from his grasp and fell to the ground, the man landing on top of him. Luckily, he was able to get his hands up to the man's shoulders. The man struggled to get closer to him, mouth chomping uncontrollably, trying desperately to get to his neck.

With extraordinary effort, Red shoved the guy off of him. He quickly snatched up the dagger, holding it poised, ready to strike. The man got clumsily to his feet, though by looking at him now, it was obvious that something was severely wrong with him. His eyes were nothing more than white irises. Several bruises were now visible through his clothing. But the scariest thing was his face. The skin was so tight against the skull that you could easily make out the bone structure.

The man extended his arms, mouth giving off a soft moan. It wasn't a moan of pain, regret, or sickness. No. This moan was something else. Something absurd and disturbing that it made Red's skin crawl. This was a moan of _hunger_!

"Stop!" Red shouted to what used to be a man. "Don't make me do this!"

The man continued to shamble towards him. His moaning never ceased. What was wrong with this man? Did he not care about his life? Why did he continue forward even though Red was armed? He moved faster now, trying to reach him, desperate to feed his hunger. He was within a few steps.

With a loud yell, Red slammed the dagger straight into the man's heart. Only, that didn't stop him. The man once again, toppled over on top of him, only this time Red was too surprised to throw up his hands. The man reared forward, mouth open and ready to tear at his neck. Red closed his eyes and waited for the pain.

_Twack!_ The weight of the man was thrown off him. He heard a clash of flesh against something solid and a quickly silenced growl. Red opened his eyes. The man was no longer on top of him. He looked to his left and gasped. A large gray…giant was standing over a now dead body. A crumbled, broken, bloody body. Red quickly turned his head away and fought back against the bile that was starting to rise in his throat.

He rose shakily to his feet, careful not to trip over himself. He was a little dizzy. The giant seemed to take notice and began to move closer to him. The giant looked like he was made of metal, a large and broad body shaped completely of rectangles and squares moved closer. Once it stood towering over him, it seemed to look him over with its large rectangular red eyes. It stood a good three feet taller than him. Red would have been scared had it not been for the giant's comically large nose that sat right in the middle of its face. Its eyebrows were slightly raised. It seemed to be waiting for him to speak.

"Hi. Um, thanks for saving me there." Red said uncertainly. The giant didn't respond. "Can you speak?"

It shook its head, making a squeaking noise as it did so. Apparently, it could understand English.

"Well, my name is Red, I think. It's what I go by anyway. Do you have a name?" Again, the giant shook it's head no. _Well that's unfortunate. I don't want to refer to him as "Giant" all the time_. "Hmm. How about we call you…Rock?" He asked the giant.

It put a blocky arm up it its chin. It didn't appear to have any fingers. After a moment of thought, it nodded its head in squeaky confirmation. Red smiled.

"Cool. Where are you from Rock?"

He shrugged his huge shoulders. It was funny. Despite their differences, they were both similar. Neither of them new their names or places of origin. Nor did they know where to go next or what to do.

"Same here. I don't know where I'm from and I don't really know where to go from here. I'd hate to be caught out here at night. After the attack with that…man, who knows what else is in these woods." Rock nodded in agreement. "Well, how about we travel together. There's strength in numbers, right?" Rock seemed to contemplate this again and nodded. Red smiled again. "Awesome. Let's roll!" And they were off, walking towards the great unknown. Or at least, that's how Red pictured it.

* * *

><p>They walked for hours with little signs of life, other than a couple of sheep they past by. Or, he thought they were sheep. They too were blocky, which was a little weird, since their wool coat still felt just as soft as he thought it would, despite its solid look. They left them be. The landscape hardly changed as well. Nothing but trees for as far the eye could see. Eventually they'd come across a small pond, but nothing real concrete. Red stopped to drink at the ponds which, surprisingly, were clean and clear before they moved on. The sun was starting to dip beneath the trees now and daylight was beginning to dissipate. Red drew his dagger and Rock seemed to be on high alert, eyes constantly scanning the forest as they walked. It wasn't long before the moon started to rise.<p>

The forest took on a darker form. Shadows danced behind every tree trunk. Every once and a while they would hear a rustle of leaves, then silence. Weird noises could be heard every so often and Red swore he heard another one of those moans. He shivered just thinking about his last encounter with that…thing.

"Hey Rock, you think maybe we should…"

Rock suddenly pushed Red down into the grass as an arrow flew by where his head would have been. It bounced harmlessly off his metallic skin and he assumed a position in from of Red. Red looked past Rock to see who fired the arrow. Except, this wasn't a who. It was a _what_! Now emerging from the shadows of the trees was a _skeleton_! A real, live, human, skeleton! Its black, empty, eye sockets focused intently on Red as it drew another arrow.

Red ducked back behind Rock, but unfortunately the skeleton wasn't their only problem. Out from behind the trees came a variety of nightmares to choose from. More of those hostile moaning humans came out, but compared to the rest of the monsters coming out of the woods, they were puny.

A giant spider, about the size of one and a half blocks of the nearest tree trunk appeared. That may sound small, but considering they spider's head looked like it would come almost halfway up Red's leg, it was terrifying. The spider turned to Red, focusing all eight of its crimson eyes. It threw back its head and let out a mighty screech that literally popped his eardrums! Red also got a glimpse the spider's fangs. Large and sharp. It charged.

Fear welled up inside Red's stomach like a bad ache and threatened to bubble up to his throat. He pushed it back down. Fear was dangerous, it could get you killed. Red stood perfectly still as the spider charged, it's eight long legs thumping onto the dirt. It screeched again as it left into the air a few feet from where he was standing, fangs barred and ready for their prey.

Red quickly dropped down to one knee and thrust the dagger to the spider's jaw. The spider slammed into him and it turned out he was a little off on his aim. Instead of puncturing the neck, his dagger went straight into the spider's mouth, punching through to the top of the spider's head. The screeched one last time and Red moved to fling the spider off him.

"Agh!" He yelled. One of the spider's fangs had actually dug itself into his shoulder!

Rock turned immediately to Red and knocked the spider off him, thinking it was attacking him. The force of the hit lifted the dead spider off him, but also tore the fang out of his shoulder, leaving a sizable wound and another shout from Red. Tears welled up in Red's eyes as he clutched his injured shoulder, but he had no time to cope with the pain. The moaning monsters that came out before the spider were now shambling the last few feet to Red. Red sucked in a breath and tucked away his pain as best he could.

Rock had busied himself with the skeletons, all which were sending barrage after barrage of arrows against him to no avail. Red could here the snapping and crushing of bones behind him, but he couldn't look. The first monster lunged out for him. Red dodged and drove the dagger deep into the back of the man's skull. It uttered a dying groan as Red removed the dagger for the next monster. It too lunged for him, in no way altering its strategy after the demise of its brethren. And so the same, it too fell.

The third was right behind the second though and immediately threw itself at Red. The dagger was still in the second monster's skull and he had no time to remove it. He quickly sent out a kick and grunted from the pain it caused his shoulder. The kick sent the monster down to the ground, where it was swiftly killed with his tiny blade.

There was a slight whistling sound, then something struck him from his right. Red yelled out and clutched his side, an arrow now protruding below his ribs. He turned just in time to see a skeleton _riding_ a spider! The spider ran towards him, excited by the sight of blood that ran down both his shoulder and side and the promise of an easy kill. The skeleton above was also loading another arrow from its quiver.

_Like hell if I'm going to die here!_ Red threw back his good arm and hurled his dagger with deadly accuracy. The dagger struck the spider right between the eyes, causing it to screech and topple over. The skeleton, unprepared for the sudden stop, misfired its arrow and tumbled down towards Red. It landed right at his feet and with a raised shoe, he brought judgment down upon the skeleton in a scene of a caved skull.

Red stood over the dead skeleton, exhausted. But there didn't seem to be any more monsters coming from the woods. Rock was finishing the last skeleton off as Red had his. He let out a sigh of relief, despite the pain in both his shoulder and side. They were alive, somehow, and still kicking.

"sssSSS" Red jumped back on instinct and turned around in surprise to a most gruesome sight. Compared to the spiders, hostile humans, and spiders, this was the most horrid creature Red had ever seen. The creature was green with no arms, but only four stubby legs with which to walk with. Its eyes were black and a merciless frown was painted across the monster's face. Even more disturbing, was that the thing had started to inflate itself, looking as if it might burst. And frankly, that's exactly what it did.

Red heard a loud _boom_ as the thing exploded a few feet from him. The forced knocked him back, small unidentifiable pieces striking multiple spots on his chest. It hurt, but not for long. Red flew back into a tree, his head slamming against the strong, hard, wood. He heard a splinter in the wood as he fell to his knees, vision steadily fading away into black. His face dug into something soft. A pillow? Out in the woods? The last thing he saw was Rock moving quickly towards him before his eyes closed and he drifted out of consciousness.

* * *

><p>When Red opened his eyes again, he found himself surrounded by the delicious smells of eggs, fried bacon, sausage, and homestyle fries. His mouth watered. <em>Who is making all of this food?<em> Once he finally came to his senses, he found himself standing over a stove, wooden spoon in hand, standing over a frying pan of homestyle fries. _Am I the cooking all this?_ He looked around to see he was in a decent sized kitchen, complete with a large sink, two stoves and ovens, and a counter top full of egg cartons, shredded potatoes, and uncooked bacon and sausage. Red briefly wondered who all this food was for, when he noticed the fries were getting a bit too brown. He stirred them and flipped a pile of the shredded potatoes over, before the bacon and eggs next to him called his attention. He busied himself keeping on top of all the breakfast items. _My gosh, who am I making all of this for?_

He heard footsteps around the corner and soon someone entered the kitchen. Red didn't recognize the man, but he was big! And not in the usual sense. The man was large, but muscular, dressed in plain camo shorts and a tanktop with a "Kiss the Cook" apron hanging down his chest. He looked to be in his lATE fifties and had a gruff beard, but kind, experienced eyes. He smiled at me.

"Nice work Red. Glad to see you can handle yourself around a kitchen. We better hurry though, the little munchkins will be running around soon here. And they'll be hungry!" He said with a laugh.

I nodded "Yes sir!" I didn't know why I said it, but apparently that's what he wanted to here, because he smiled and then turned to the eggs and uncooked meat on the counter. Soon, they were both working the kitchen, making plates full of bacon, sausage, eggs and homestyle fries. The man went to the refrigerator and grabbed a gallon of orange juice and milk, along with a dozen plastic cups. He went out from the kitchen and you could hear him pouring cups for whoever we were preparing this huge breakfast for.

"Hey Red, pull out a stack of plates for me would ya?" He yelled to the kitchen. "They're starting to wake up."

As if in response, a bunch of giggles and pattering feet could be heard from upstairs. He quickly did as he was asked, moving towards one of the far cabinets and pulling out a two stacks of plates. He handed them to the man as he came in and he said a quick thanks.

"Bring the food in, but make sure to save a plate or two for us ok?" He said with a smile.

Again, he followed orders, pre-making two plates while finishing up the last of the food. Setting the two plates aside on the counter, Red gathered the overloaded bowls of eggs, sausage, bacon, and homestyle fires. Being careful not to drop anything, he made his way to the living room.

The living room was big, but simple. A long wooden table fixed with plates, silverware, and glasses filled with milk or juice. There were twelve chairs seated at the table. Behind that was a small carpeted area with two couches and a television set, placed on top of the shelf loaded with movies. There were a couple doors to the left for a bathroom and laundry room, as labeled by the signs on the doors. And finally, there was a big staircase that led upstairs. The pattering was getting louder now and it sounded like it was heading downstairs.

"What are you standing around for Red? The crowd is coming."

Red regained his composure and set the bowls on the table just as the people came down stairs. Or, should he say, little people. A whole bunch of children flooded downstairs, shouting cheery good morning wishes. They all filed into their seats, anxious for the coming meal, chatting amongst themselves.

"Alright, alright, settle down." The man shouted. As if flipping a switch, the children quieted. "You all know the rules. Before we eat, we give thanks. I will lead us."

The man bowed his head and said a prayer of thanks, but Red was confused as to whom he was thanking. He caught the name "Lord", but he didn't recognize any of the household inhabitants to have that name. However, once he was finished, the man called Red over and they started serving plates.

They could hardly pile on the food enough. The children dug in, most had manners about it, but they still ate pretty fast. By the time they completed the first circle of the table, another was asking seconds! Still, they said thanks in little high pitched voices every time they filled their plates. After completing the second round, they all seemed to slow down a little with their food, taking the time to enjoy the tremendous meal.

The man ducked back into the kitchen as the children ate. Red joined him. He was starting to prep the sink for the dishes that were no doubt coming in the next couple of minutes. He squirted a quick stream of dish soap into the mix and the sink bubbled up. Red took his place on the opposite side, repeating the man's actions. He grabbed two dishtowels and threw one over Red's shoulders.

"Good work Red. You may just turn out to be a great gallery cook yet." He said, clapping a hand on Red's shoulder.

He smiled up at the man. "Thanks Sergeant Steel."

Sergeant Steel smiled proudly back at Red. Then, Red's vision started to blur. Red's reality was slowly stripped away into a black existence. He darted his head back and forth around the kitchen. Appliances and cabinets faded to nothing, as did the food and mess they made. He whipped around to see that Sergeant Steel's smile was too being stripped away.

Soon, Red was once again swallowed back into the abyss.

**First Chapter Completed. I hope you all enjoyed it. Please leave a "like" in the form of a review and know that there will be more chapters on the way. Let me know what you think about the story. I love reading reviews, so make plenty :)****. Also, be sure to follow/favorite! Until next time.**


	2. Rescued

Chapter 2

Daylight streamed in through the glass pane window. Red opened his eyes and squinted against the sudden flooding of light. It was blinding at first, casting the room in a white glare. His eyes adjusted quickly, allowing him to take in his new surroundings. He was in a house of some sort, he thought. He lay on a simple bed, which was actually very comfortable, with a red blanket draped over him.

The house seemed to be made of oak wood, though they were not the perfect log cubes he had seen in the woods. These had been somehow reshaped into planks. There was a small table by the bed, on it was a wooden bowl of water and bandages. An old-style furnace sat in the corner of the house away from him, as well as a double length chest. There seemed to be another table that had a variety of tools strapped to it. There was also what looked to be an ordinary table by the window to his right. A rug outlined in black and filled with white lay in the center of the room and a few paintings hung on the walls. _This isn't very large. Does anyone else live here? How did I get here?_

Red started to lift himself up into a sitting position, but was met with a jolt of pain from his side and shoulder. He grunted and flopped back onto the bed. Someone had bandaged and cleaned his wounds, but there was still a small patch of blood on both wounds. They still ached internally.

With a deep breath, he tried once again to sit up, ready for the pain. He was successful this time, shifting his back against the bed frame to take the weight off side. Red took deep breaths, trying not to think about the aching in his body. He should consider himself lucky that these aches were the only thing he felt. If it wasn't for whoever had fixed him up, he'd probably be dead.

The door opened slowly and Red tensed up. Sure, whoever had helped him probably wasn't a threat, but with the number of bad experiences he'd had in the only day he could remember, being calm and relaxed was not a natural response for him. To his surprise, another human came in through the door. A girl to be precise. She was carrying a tray of food and water, but nearly dropped it when she realized he was awake.

The girl was pretty, despite her commoner look. She wore a full length brown robe that covered her hands and feet. Her hair was a light shade of orange and she had emerald green eyes. Her face was clear except for a few freckles that dotted random areas on her fairly tanned face.

They both kind of just stared at each other for a moment. Red wasn't sure what to say or if he wanted to speak. Better to see if she was actually a person and not just another monster. After a few moments, she approached him. He tensed up more, ready to spring if needed, despite his injuries.

"Hey, calm down. It's just food." She said to him in a joking manner.

Red relaxed, hesitantly. He was still sure he could move out of there if need be, but it didn't seem like she was going to harm him. She set the tray down on his lap. On it was a loaf of bread and some milk. Red examined the food, looking for any oddities, but found none.

"Jeez, it's not poisonous!" She said, shaking her head.

At that moment, Red's stomach growled loudly. The girl chuckled. He took the loaf and broke it in half. "Sorry." Red replied. "I had a bit of a rough night." He brought the loaf to his mouth. It tasted great. Still moist like it was freshly baked. He quickly took another bite and another. Soon, the half loaf was gone and Red was left with the girl staring wide-eye at him. He apologized again and wiped his mouth with his good arm. He offered her the other half of the loaf as a good gesture, but she politely declined.

She took a set on the bed next to him. "So, what exactly happened to you last night? Do you remember anything?"

Red chuckled. "Actually, the only thing I remember was last night." He paused to take a drink of from the glass of milk. Man, nothing tasted sweeter! "My friend and I were attacked last night by these…strange monsters. Skeletons, hostile human things, spiders, a skeleton riding a spider…"

The girl gasped, eyes lighting up in fascination. "You encountered a spider rider? That's so cool! They're extremely rare!"

"It sure felt cool..." Red said, looking down at this wounded side. The looked dropped from her face, replaced with one of apology.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean…" She started, but Red waved his hand dismissively.

"It's alright. It's…" Red's head suddenly snapped up in remembrance. "Wait, where's Rock? Is he here too? What happened while I was out?" He asked, frantic about his metallic companion. He even made a move to get off the bed to go looking for him, but the girl hastily stopped him before he had the chance.

"Whoa! You're too hurt to be running around right now! And if you're talking about that iron golem that brought you here, then he's fine. He's right outside. Never left the door ever since we brought you here." She said, trying to ease his anxiety. It worked. Red relaxed a little and resumed his earlier position. The girl continued once she was sure he was settled. "The golem brought you to our village a little before sunrise and you looked near dead. You'd lost a lot of blood from your wounds. My mother is the village doctor and took you in for treatment. She was able to dress and clean your wounds, but we were afraid you wouldn't make it on account of how much blood you lost. Then over the next couple days…"

Red stopped her there. "Whoa, whoa, next couple days?! How long have I been out?"

The girl looked at him with sympathetic eyes. "You've been in a coma for about a week now."

That hit him like a rock. A week. He'd lost a whole week! Rock had been standing outside for a whole week. He had been treated and cared for a _whole week_! It was completely unfathomable to Red. He'd spent one day alive, as far as he was concerned, because it was all he could remember. Now he'd lost a week more on top of all the other years he couldn't recall. He kind of spaced out, trying to comprehend this. To grasp this loss of past accompanied with amnesia.

The girl noticed Red's astonished look and tried to comfort him. "It was remarkable that you healed in only a week, for the most part. I've known a lot of other villagers in this town who've been through worse and lost months! As I was saying, we moved you here after a couple days. It turns out a man left the village to go exploring and live a 'new, adventurous life'." She chuckled. "He was well aged in his years, so it seemed silly to me. But, thanks to his absence, we could give you a place to rest. You're a very lucky person."

Red focused back on reality and the girl in front of him. "Sorry…I guess I wasn't ready for that." Even now, his brain was still having trouble processing it all. Was the man she was talking about the same one Red had fought with? "This man…what did he look like?"

She described him to Red. It confirmed what he already knew. The man that had supposedly left seeking adventure had indeed found it. But, he found it in the worst possible way. Red felt a twinge of regret and pity towards the man he'd been forced to kill. Who knows what kind of person he was before he died. He dropped his eyes in sorrow.

"What's wrong?" The girl asked, confused.

Red took his time answering, his emotions threatening to boil over. He did not want to face that kind of embarrassment in front of a stranger. "I think…I killed him. The man. It was shortly after I woke up. I walked through the forest and found him…hanging by a tree. I thought he was dead, but he started thrashing about when I approached. I got him down, but he attacked me almost immediately afterwards. If it wasn't for Rock…I would have died."

When Red looked up again, the girl looked distraught and shocked. "I never thought…he would turn." Red threw a questioning look at her, but she didn't notice. Her head was focused on the bed sheets. "I guess you never really think about those things while someone's alive, right?" When she looked up and noticed his clueless look, she seemed surprised. "Wait, don't tell me you don't know about mobs!" She exclaimed, like it was common knowledge. And maybe it was, for all he knew.

Red shook his head. "Nope. I know next to nothing about where I am and how this world works. The only thing I do know for sure is to never go outside at night. That's pretty much it." She still had a dumfounded look plastered on her face. "So," Said Red, trying to get to what he was implying, "If you have a book or something I could read about this town or something, I would greatly appreciate it. I'm going to need something to do if I can't walk around for a while."

The girl snapped out of it and gave him a kind smile. "Of course." She moved off the bed and over to the double chest by the furnace. After opening it and rummaging through it, making a lot of noise in the process, she pulled out a rather large, hefty book. "Phew. Here it is! 'The Minecrafter's Guide to Minecraft'. That's where you are by the way." She said as she walked back over to the bed to give him the book.

Red took it gratefully. "Thank you, um…" He realized he hadn't even asked the girl's name.

"Silvia" She said, holding out her hand. "And you are?"

He took her hand with his own and shook. "You can just call me Red."

"Red, hmm. That's kind of interesting." She said with a small giggle. Why she did so, Red had no idea. "Well Red, I'll leave you alone to rest and read up. I'll be back to bring you some lunch. Get better, ya here?"

Silvia started towards the door, head still turned in Red's direction. "Thanks Silvia, I'll do my best." He said with a smile. She smiled one last time before exiting and leaving Red alone with his thoughts. So, he was in a world called Minecraft. What a weird name for a world. The book he held in his hands was very dusty and worn. It must have been neglected for years!

Carefully, Red opened the frail book to the first page. The ink was a little faded and the pages were tinted yellow with age, but thankfully, it was still legible. He began reading. He read for hours about the marvelous world of blocks. It seemed that just about anything could mined and used for a specific purpose. It was fascinating! Red read for hours, absorbing as much information as he could about Minecraft.

A little later, he felt his eyes getting heavy and the words started blurring on the page in front of him. Red closed the book and set it on the table next to him with the bandages. The sun hadn't quite made its journey to the middle of the sky yet, so it couldn't have even been noon. But, Red was tired. The pillow on his bed beckoned him to rest again. He obliged without hesitation.

* * *

><p>Once again, he was in another unfamiliar world. Nothing was a cube anymore and there was a drastic change in scenery. Instead of the bed he was resting in only moments earlier, he was standing in a small clearing, tall trees surrounding him on all sides. These trees, however, were not square in any way! The branches rustled with the incoming breeze and leaves shook individually instead of as a unit. The flowers scattered among the grass plain swayed lazily back and forth, giving this place a feeling of serenity and peace. Despite his alien surroundings, this place somehow felt very familiar to him.<p>

It was now that he felt his right arm feel a lot heavier than normal. He looked down to see he was holding an object he didn't exactly recognize. It was shaped funny. A wooden handle was what his hands were gripping onto. Above that, there seemed to be some sort of switch. A hammer! That was the correct term! Across from that, to his left, was a cylinder that looked to hold large metal casings inside premade holes. A long barrel extended out from the object, pointed at the ground momentarily. A box also lay on the ground. It was very small. Red could just barely make out the words on the side. _.44 magnum rounds_._ Handle with care!_

He scrunched his eyebrows together and looked the object once again in his hands. The word "gun" popped into his head, so that must be what the object was. He wondered why he had it in his possession. Better yet, was the "gun's" function? Red contemplated this until her heard the familiar voice of Sergeant Steel from behind him.

"Well Red, are you ready for your first lesson in weapons training?" He asked with a smile.

"Yes sir!' He exclaimed, almost giddily. Strangely enough, his body and responses seemed to be on autopilot. As if he were there, watching and experiencing his body move and speak, but had no control over what he could do. It was unnerving to say the least.

"Good. We'll start right away."

Sergeant Steel was carrying unmarked boxes over to the middle of the clearing. Their contents clanked and clattered with every step. Red assumed that whatever was inside the boxes had to made of glass. Bottles? His assumption was proven correct when the sergeant stacked the boxes up to chest height and opened the top one, setting an empty glass bottle on top.

"How many bottles did you bring?" Red asked.

"Enough so that when we're finished, you'll be comfortable with that weapon. I want to know that if anyone comes into our orphanage with intent to harm anyone in it and I can't get to a weapon before you can, you'll be able to stop him." The sergeant replied.

"What about the kids? Won't they be worried about us or uncomfortable with the amount of noise we'll be making close by?" He asked, concerned about the children under their care.

"They're on a field trip today, remember? My wife's taking 'em to Disney Land today. We finally got enough fundraising to treat them kids to a little something special." The sergeant paused and smiled, presumably thinking about the children. "I'll be those little munchkins are excited. Most of them haven't been to a theme park."

"Yeah." It was all he could think to say. He found himself thinking that he'd never been to a theme park either. He's seen movies and read about them, but that watching or reading about a roller coaster wasn't the same as being there. He looked down at the grass and let his mind wonder to how the kids must be feeling, on a bus, hardly containing themselves, anticipating the excitement of the world famous Disney Land. He chuckled to himself. _I hope they have a good time._

When Red looked back up again, the bottle was positioned and Sergeant Steel was making his way back to him. "Alright, let's see how well your first shot is. Take aim." Red lifted the weighty gun in both hands, establishing a firm grip, legs spread apart wide for stability. Sergeant Steel chucked at his posture. "Come on son, this ain't a rocket launcher. Relax a little. Don't be so tense." He walked over to Red and moved his hands under his elbows. "Don't lock up your elbows. Also, when you fire, this gun will have a lot of kick to it. Don't be afraid to let it kick back a little, but don't let the momentum control your actions either. It's a hard balance to find, but when you do, you'll be able to shoot pretty ok. After that, it's just practice." Sergeant Steel stepped away from him. "One more thing, pull the trigger as just releasing your breath for stability purposes. And be ready. That gun's loud."

Red re-adjusted himself and line up his shot using the iron sights of the gun. He relaxed himself, but not too much, allowing the slightest of tension in his muscles. He felt confident in his position and grip. He took a deep breath in. This was it. He exhaled and fired.

_Crack!_ The gun kicked backwards, but Red had anticipated it and was able to control it with ease. The glass bottle that had once been on top of the box, shattered into a million tiny fragments, shooting off in every direction within a small radius of the bottle. Sergeant Steel's eyes were wide and he looked more bewildered than Red had ever seen him.

"Damn! If I hadn't of known this was your first shot, I would have thought you were a private! That was a great shot. Most people smack themselves in the face with that weapon on their first try. You must have some natural talent!" He exclaimed, beaming proudly at Red.

He smiled at the sergeant's praise. "Let's hope I can repeat it."

"Now you're thinking like a proper drill sergeant!" He said as he went to set up another bottle.

They spent hours in the forest, breaking bottle after bottle, sometimes as many as four at a time. Red didn't know why or how, but he seemed to posses some easily attained skill for this weapon. He preformed near rapid-fire shots without missing a single bottle. It was almost like the gun was a part of him, as natural as throwing a punch. Sergeant Steel was amazed at his capability with such a demanding and dangerous weapon. By the time they finished, Steel was already joking with him about what a great military private he'd be.

"If you were my boy, I'd have you trained for the military in a heartbeat…if that's what you decided to do anyway." He said as he packed up the boxes and glass shards.

"I don't know sir, I never really thought about getting a job. I always thought I'd run the orphanage after you decided to retire or something like that." Red said. He and the sergeant each took two full boxes of shards and started walking.

"Well, there's the usual BS that comes with any job, but unfortunately the military is almost quadruple that. There are so many rules and regulations you have to follow, it's not even funny. But, if you're in it for the right reasons, you can find happiness in it. Those who go out to fight our wars give their lives for our freedom and protection." Steel took on a vacant look, as if remembering times past. "Protecting others is what I loved for and I saw no better way than joining the military. Marines to be exact. Man, talk about tough training."

Red contemplated the sergeant's words as they walked. "I'd love to protect people who can't protect themselves. But, I wouldn't think I could join the military even if I wanted to." He said.

"Why's that Red?" He asked.

Red stopped in his tracks and put down the boxes. He pulled out the magnum from his front side pocket. "This is a weapon of both destruction and peace. It can do harm or good depending on who holds it. And while I know I wouldn't misuse it, I'd hate to have to take a life with it."

The sergeant put the boxes he was holding down on the soft grass and walked over to Red. He put a hand on his shoulder again and looked at him with caring eyes. "Those are wise words for someone your age. I didn't like killing either when I was in the Marines, but there is something important you need to know." He paused and looked Red straight in the eyes. "The world is full of dangerous and evil people. It's not just something you read about in books or see in movies, it exists. If someone tries to harm any innocent person and you can stop them, but you don't, then you're no better than the person doing the crime." He pointed to the gun. "Guns don't kill people. It's the person behind the trigger that decides to end a life. You can't decide whether or not the person deserves to die. No one deserves death. But when it comes down to your life or someone else's life over the killer's, you have to be willing to pull that trigger."

Red looked back down at the weapon in his hands. It seemed to take on a new meaning, a new symbol. He nodded his head. "Yes sir, I understand."

Everything started to swirl and blur around him. The scene around Red blurred and distorted until it was nothing but darkness.

* * *

><p>Red jerked awake, bringing forth aches from his wounds, but they were definitely less severe than he remembered. He grunted low and examined the room around him. It was definitely later in the day. The light that streamed in from the window had a more orange tint, like just after sunset. The book still lay on the table where he'd left it, only now it was accompanied with another tray of food. A note was placed in front of the tray.<p>

_Found you sleeping around lunchtime and then again before dinner. Thought you might like something to eat after you woke up. You can thank my mom and me when we see you in the morning. ~ Silvia._

Red smiled. It was so nice to see that people cared for a total stranger in this land. He took the tray off the tabletop. On it was a cold steak, baked potato, and a pile of carrots. Even cold, it looked and tasted delicious! Silvia's mother must be some cook! He gobbled it down, not ever getting enough of the fabulous meal.

After he finished, Red tried to get off the bed. He really wanted to stand and move around like a normal human being. He swung himself over the side, sitting on the edge, feet touching the ground. Slowly, he rose to up, making sure to brace himself in case he fell back onto the bed. He didn't. In fact, it felt great to be standing again. Some of his stiff muscles even popped in relief after being barely used for so long. He walked around the room with little trouble. His chest wounds would ache ever so slightly, but with each step it would fade and fade until he didn't feel it anymore.

Curious, he walked over to the double chest that lay by the furnace and crafting table. He now understood those terms to their fullest since reading the "Minecrafter's Guide to Minecraft". The chest opened with a small creak and Red examined the contents within. There wasn't much left. Some wood logs, an untitled book, some ink, sticks, string, and dust.

Suddenly, his dream came back to him in full force and he remembered it in vivid detail. He automatically grabbed the blank book and the ink from the chest. Making his way to the table by the window, he sat in the old wooden chair, flipping to the first page. His hand seemed to work on its own, making lines, dashes, dots, and every other writing and drawing element possible.

He worked hard and worked through the night, not stopping until his finished product was reached.

**Chapter 2 is finished! Woohoo! Glad to have finished it. I want to take a moment to say Happy Birthday to "epic and evil" and hope this chapter makes a good birthday present because it's all I have to offer :P. Please leave a review on the chapter, sharing your thoughts and feelings. I await them with great anticipation. Also, please don't be afraid to follow/favorite. Until next time.**

"


	3. A New Weapon

Chapter 3

Silvia's feet made soft crunching noises on the gravel road as she made her way through town. It was early morning. Nobody was awake yet, except her. The sky was painted in a dull blue hue and there was a slight breeze in the morning air. For some reason, she had been woken from her sleep and couldn't return to it. So, she decided to go for a walk through the village before officially starting her day.

It had been strangely peaceful in their village over the last couple nights. Usually, they expected a mob attack at least every few nights, if not every other night. Not that she was complaining, but it was weird. Then again, a lot of oddities had been happening around the village lately. The old man, who wanted so desperately to leave the village out of the blue to seek a new, adventurous life. It hardly made any sense, not only to her, but to her mother and everyone else in the village who knew him. They'd all seen him off, but he never came back. From what Red had told her, he had been killed. Twice.

Red. His sudden and scary arrival had been a whole other experience for the village. When she first saw the iron golem bring him in, he looked near death. His mother patched him up in their home as best she could, but there was little they could do about the blood loss. They hadn't expected him to live through the night. The village hoped for his well-being, but were doubtful of his recovery. Miraculously, thankfully, he somehow survived his injuries and seemed to be doing much better.

She wondered about him throughout her walk. He was a mystery, even to himself. According to him, he didn't remember anything about his past, save for the night he was attacked while out with the iron golem, or Rock as he calls it. Not only that, but the material his pants were made from didn't seem to be from Minecraft, that she knew about. His pants were too strong to be made from wool and yet too soft to be made from leather. It was quite literally, out of this world. His footwear was alien to them too now that she thought about it. Where was this guy from?

A distinct metallic squeak jarred her from her thoughts. Apparently having Red in her thoughts caused her to head for his house. Rock, loyal as ever, was still standing by the door. She wondered what kind of influence led Rock to protect Red so much. He looked over her for a few seconds, before resuming his original position. He did this every time anyone ventured too close to the house, but he always let the villagers enter. Though, most of the time it was only her and her mother.

Since she was already here, she figured she'd check in on him. Silvia walked past Rock and up to the door. She turned the knob as quietly as she could and opened the door. She almost laughed, putting a hand over her mouth to suppress a rising giggle.

Red must have moved around somewhat last night, because he was now sitting at the desk. Or rather, he was slumped over it! His face was turned towards her, mouth opened slightly in a goofy, sleepy, state. His arms were lying willy-nilly over the table, but his right hand was what caught her attention. He was loosely gripping a small stick which appeared to have been sharpened and dabbed with ink. Upon closer inspection, she saw he was resting his head on top of a book.

She tried to study some of the markings and designs she glanced at in the book, but his head covered most of the images and words. Silvia debated on whether or not she should wake Red, sustaining a mild curiosity about what he had done last night. However, she decided it would be best to let him rest. She turned to head out the door when she heard the loudest squeak erupt throughout the room. A look at her foot showed a loose plank from a block. Figures.

Red bolted upright, shaken from his slumber by a loud noise. He very nearly fell out of his chair and rose out quickly, ready for an attacker or thief. Thankfully, the only person in the room with him was Silvia. He attempted to relax his muscles.

"Jeez. Don't scare me like that Silvia." He said with a small chuckle, trying to calm his nerves.

Silvia gave him a small, apologetic smile. "Sorry. I was actually trying not to wake you up. I guess I just stopped by the check on you. How are you feeling?"

Red stretched his arms and back, sighing as his joints loosened and popped. Despite falling asleep at the table, he felt good and well-rested. Of course, that could have been because he had slept most of the day away yesterday. His injuries seemed to be bothering him less as well compared to the small aches the night before. Now he hardly felt any pain in his side, shoulder, or chest. It was a great thing _not_ to feel.

"I feel much better now. Slept pretty good too. How about you?" He asked Silvia. He looked behind her expectantly, remembering the note from last night. "Did you bring your mom with you? I'd like to thank her for dinner last night. It was delicious!"

Silvia giggled. "She always did know her way around the furnace. I helped a little with the baked potatoes, but I'm afraid I don't think I'll be a cook anytime soon." She straightened her robe before continuing. "No, my mother isn't with me. I was honestly just taking a stroll around the village a few minutes ago. I couldn't get back to sleep. I doubt anyone will be up for another hour or so."

"I see." Red said. He turned back toward the table, noticing the open book he was writing in last night. Except, words weren't the only things displayed on the page. It looked like he'd drawn a whole diagram of sorts modeling a gun. All the parts were intricately drawn and labeled with lines extending to specific parts. He almost didn't believe any of it was made by his hand. It was components of the very same gun he'd used in his dream. Every part was written out with detailed instructions on how to assemble it, though he didn't really understand anything he read.

"What's that?" Silvia asked. She studied curiously. "I've never seen anything like this before. What is it?"

"Yeah, well neither have I, to be honest. Or maybe I have and just don't remember." Red replied. "I think it's meant to be a weapon."

"Are you going to make it?"

That was a question Red hadn't dared to ask himself. He knew, somewhat, of the power that weapon held. He'd experienced it and witnessed its destruction. It had both scared Red and gave him a thrill like he couldn't explain. It would really help against any more threats he might happen to run into, but at the same time, it could easily kill another person just as easily as a monster. Or mobs, as he now knew them as.

Then he thought about Silvia, her mom, and the whole village. They had taken in a stranger that looked completely foreign to them and healed him without hesitation or question. He owed it to them to try and repay back that kindness. And to do that, he would find a way to protect them, no matter what the cost. He glanced back at the blueprints. That weapon could be used to keep peace or make war. He had a funny feeling that back where he was from, people didn't use it for peace enough. It was time that changed.

"Yeah. I think I am. Somehow." He replied, pushing the book closed. "Although, I'm going to have to find a mine to get the materials I need." Red started to move over to the chest to get the wood together he would need to make a wooden pickax since it would be what he had to start with. Silvia stopped him before he even opened the chest.

"Wait. You're going to go _mining_?" She asked. "What about your injuries?"

"They hardly hurt anymore. I'm well enough to mine, I think." Red said as he looked them over. He made a note that before he left he would need a change in bandages. A fresh, clean set would definitely be better than the ones he had on now. "Maybe a change in bandages would be nice before I left though. Pretty sure they're still on the table, so I'll apply them before I leave."

Red returned to fishing out the wood and sticks he would need. Again, he was stopped by Silvia. "Are you sure about this?" She asked.

"Yes." He replied.

She put her hand up to her face, biting her nails in thought. She then seemed to catch herself, slightly embarrassed, and quickly lowered them. "Well, in that case, will you walk with me? I think we could send you off with some better materials than you'll find here if we go back to my house. I'd feel better if you left prepared."

Red contemplated it briefly. "Yeah. That sounds good to me." She perked up a little upon hearing this, which made Red feel better as well. He closed the chest and followed Silvia out the door.

Red stepped out into the cool early morning air. He breathed in deeply, happy for some fresh air. It was kind of musty in that small house he'd been staying in, and why not? It had been unoccupied for a decent amount of time. Nevertheless, it felt good to be outside. The sun was even starting to peak over the clouds a little.

He heard a tiny creak next to him and he turned to face Rock. He'd almost forgotten about his metal companion.

"Rock!" He exclaimed, charging him and wrapping his arms in a bear hug around him. "Man, it's good to see you again."

Rock tilted his head in curiosity. Slowly and carefully, he moved his massive arms around Red in a light hug. Red was sure that if Rock had tried to give him a real hug, he'd kill him. He chuckled at the thought and broke apart with Rock.

"They been treating you ok?" I asked him, though he could hardly think of a way to mistreat an iron golem. He nodded his head, making another tiny squeak. Red wondered if that ever got old with him. Probably not.

* * *

><p>Silvia had been standing aside, observing the little reunion with a smile on her face. She was glad to see the two friends united again. After they had finished, Red turned his full attention back to her. He asked her to lead the way and all three of them walked on. She gave Red a tour of the village as they walked about. The first significant building they came across was the blacksmith's shop.<p>

The owner had both an inside shop and an outside work area. Two furnaces were stacked against one side of the oak wood shop next to a pair of double chests. The floor was cobblestone instead of gravel and in the middle of his work space was a single block of lava encased in a cobblestone well. This is what he used to super-heat his weapons before repairing them or adding enchantments. To see him at work was as rare as it was mystifying.

They passed the two sets of farms the village used to grow food. Oak logs surrounded the 16X8 rectangular farms to keep the moisture from the water that ran underneath the dirt, packed inside. Torches still burned brightly around the farm to give the crops the light they needed to grow. The wheat, potatoes, and carrots that the farmers had planted the night before were already ready for harvest. The farm would probably be replanted and ready again by the end of the day. There were also pens by the farms made from oak fence that kept in all their pigs, cows, and sheep. They were all still asleep as well.

They passed many small housed before passing the village library, which wasn't more than a larger house with a long bookshelves that were home to the some fifty books that the village owned. The librarian wasn't in yet, but Silvia imagined he'd be up soon to check on the books. They never really had to worry about thieves, but the old librarian always showed up early in the morning to check anyways.

Finally, they reached her house, near the back end of the village. It was nothing fancy, but it was home. A small patch of flowers marked the pathway up to the door. Two single-paned windows were placed symmetrically apart on either sides of the door. Oak logs marked the outer boundaries of the house, behind them were regular oak planks. The roof was made from oak stairs as well. Silvia always thought it looked a tiny bit bland, but it had been her home all her life. She always felt it had a small amount of charm attached to it. She glanced at Red to see what he thought.

He studied it and smiled. "It's a nice little house." He said. "Looks cozy. You and your mom are the only ones who live there?"

"Yes." She said. She started walking up to the front door and noticed a delicious odor wafting out from under the door.

Red noticed it too. "That smells great!" His stomach growled in agreement, which made both of them laugh.

Silvia opened the door and stepped inside. The heavenly smell only intensified once they entered into her house. They could instantly see her mom in the kitchen, bent over in front of a furnace. She was a bit of a heavyset woman, but she hardly cared about that. She was wearing a dark brown robe with a white, well stained, apron thrown across her chest. Her long black hair hung down over her back as she was bent over, inspecting her latest meal. She heard them enter and turned her head to look at them. She smiled warmly at her, but then gave a surprised glance at her guest.

"Well," She said, "It's good to see you've decided to come home." She said this in her usual teasing manner that Silvia was well accustomed to. "Why, I thought you might have run off!"

"No mother, just for a walk this time" She said, replicating her mother's teasing tone. "But we'll see about tomorrow."

Her mother chuckled at her daughter. She then took attention to Red. "So it looks as if you're walking again." She smiled mischievously. "Or did my daughter carry you all the way here?" She asked with a wink.

Silvia blushed and turned her head away from Red, hoping he hadn't noticed. He glanced at her with his right eye, but otherwise went back to address her mother. "No ma'am. I walked here with Silivia." He had picked up on their verbal jousting and decided to join in on it. "She hasn't needed to carry me…yet."

Her mother laughed even more as she went to take breakfast out of the furnace. She had on a leather glove as she reached and pulled out a super-heated stone slab. On it was an almost perfectly golden brown ham with hard over-easy eggs arranged in a white circle around it. It looked delicious and smelled even more so now that it was out of the furnace. She placed the slab with the meat on a wooden countertop before removing the glove and wiping her hands on her apron.

"Well, you've come just in time for breakfast." She looked Red over. "Although I think we need to get you cleaned up first. Some new bandages would do." Her went about getting wooden plates and silverware from one of the chests in her kitchen. "Silvia, please take Red into the back room and fix him up a little before dinner, would you?"

"Y..yes mother." Once again, her face started turning red. Before Red could notice, she quickly walked in front of him, grabbing his arm as she made her way to the back bedroom. She was really starting to get annoyed with her face.

* * *

><p>After a very awkward walk to the back room Silvia's mother told her to take Red, she sat him down on the bed. She didn't speak a word as she rummaged through a chest beside him. He examined the room. It was about as basic as the old man's house he'd been staying in. A simple bed with a red blanket, a few chests, a wooden desk, and a crafting table were all the room contained.<p>

Silvia bounced back up, now carrying a new set of bandages and some water. She paused, still hardly looking at him. He wondered why.

"Do you want to remove the bandages or…" She couldn't finish her sentence.

Red was puzzled for a moment until he realized why she asked. He looked down to hide his face and look over his bandages. Besides a slight tint, they were fine, but he knew they probably should be changed. He thought he better be the one to remove his own bandages.

"I got it." He said.

It was a little awkward to find the right knots and get them loose, but he managed to get them off, one at a time. Now he could clearly see the damage of his injuries. There were swelled cuts all over his midsection, now starting to scab over, but that wasn't what caught his attention. His shoulder was the real interesting injury. It was slightly swelled and looked like it was in its last stages of healing. Unfortunately, it was going to leave a scar. A very clear jagged line of skin could be seen stretching across the front of his shoulder where the arrow had struck. It was still red around the wound, but Red couldn't spot any blood. It seemed that his stomach was the culprit for the ruined bandages.

"Well. It looks pretty ugly doesn't it?" Red said, trying to make light of the situation.

Silvia chuckled nervously as she soaked the bandages with the water from the glass bottle. Once they were damp, she raised her hands, ready to wrap his chest. She stopped about a hand's length away and gave him a questioning look. Red nodded and braced himself. Silvia quickly and expertly applied his new bandages. They hardly stung as they touched his injuries, which Red was grateful for.

She stepped back and examined her work. After a slight nod of approval, she moved to another chest on the side wall and began searching through it. A few seconds later, she pulled out a good amount of black wool. She walked to the crafting table and arranged the wool into some sort of pattern. Red wanted to get up and look, but as soon as he got up, Silvia has finished and held up a perfectly normal black shirt.

Red walked over to her amazed. "Whoah! That's amazing!" Of course, he'd read about how crafting tables worked in the book Silvia had given him, but to actually see it done was an entirely different experience. Well, he didn't really see all of it, but to almost magically make a shirt from small blocks of wool was still amazing nonetheless.

"I thought you might want something to cover up those bandages." She said, holding the shirt out to him. "I hope this will fit."

Red took it and slipped it on. Surprisingly, it fit perfectly. "Thanks." He said. "That feels a lot better. It was kinda cold last night without one." They laughed.

Red sat back down on the bed, head face down. He felt overwhelming gratitude for Silvia and her mother. He felt it for the whole village, in fact. They'd all been so nice and caring for him. He felt strange. This kind of kindness, he'd known it somewhere before. Red furrowed his brow in concentration, trying desperately to place this feeling. He struggled inside his head, grasping out at blurred whisps of words as they sailed by, hoping to find some sort of clue.

St…steep? Stole? Steel! That was it. That was the first word and clue to this feeling. Red searched harder. Fa…famous? Fabulous? Family! Yeah! Now he was getting it. Steel..Family…Orph…Orphan? Orphanage! Steel Family Orphanage. Red's eyes grew wide as he recovered this precious piece of information. That had to be a name of the place. The place from his dreams! He nearly started jumping on the bed, he was so happy. Happy to finally remember something about his past. No matter how insignificant it may have seemed.

He looked up to see Silvia staring at him strangely. It took him a minute to realize that he must have looked like a total nutcase for a second there. He got up off the bed.

"I remember. I remember that place. Steel Family Orphanage. My home. The place where I grew up!" He exclaimed.

"What? What are you talking…" Silvia started.

"Alright kiddies! Time's up. Come on out and get breakfast before it gets cold!" They heard her mother shout from outside the living room.

Red hurried towards the door and opened it for Silvia, anxious to share the news of his regained memory over a delicious hot breakfast.

**Ok. To start off, I am SO sorry for taking SO LONG to update this story. I have been extremely busy these past month and I will try not to make you all wait so long again. However, I have some great news. I'm officially an uncle now! Woo! I see a lot of poopy diapers and crying in my future, but I'm going to love having my nephew around the house. That's not the good news though. Not for you guys anyway. I've decided to do something awesome, but only if this story becomes really popular. I have decided that if this story, by the time it finishes, receives over 400 reviews, then I will do my best to try and animate it from start to finish. I know this may sound cool and you may be groaning over the high number, but the best things are always worth the extra trouble, I always say. So, I'll leave this up to you guys and I will post as soon as the next chapter is through. Until next time.**


	4. Mining Trip

Chapter 4

"You're from an orphanage?!" Silvia exclaimed. "Where? Is it near our village?"

Red cleaned the last bit of ham and eggs off his plate. It had been extraordinary. He was almost a little jealous of Silvia for having a mom that could cook that good. He chuckled to himself and wiped his face with a wool cloth. "From what I can remember, yeah. I grew up somewhere that was pretty secluded. I remember having a lot of space and helping take care of the children we had at the orphanage." He rubbed his fingers against his head. "I also remember someone else, the man who ran it. Sergeant Steel was his name. I think he was kind of like a father figure to me."Red tried harder to remember, but he couldn't pick out anything else that seemed important. He sighed. "That's all I can remember though. Nothing else."

Silvia's mother got up and collected the wooden dishes. "Well, it's good that you remember something at least." She paused in thought. "I don't think I recall any kind of orphanage by that name around here." She moved over to a cauldron that was already filled with water. One by one, she dropped the dished inside and began scrubbing them with a sponge.

Red tried one last time to recover any fragment of memory he could scavenge, but shook his head. He could not recall any more. He rose from the table and tucked his chair back underneath. "Thank you very much for breakfast Ms…" He realized they hadn't really introduced themselves. Of course, she knew Red's name, but he didn't know hers.

"It's Emerald" She said kindly, placing a now clean wooden plate on the counter next to her. She dug her hands in for another. Red asked her if she wanted any help with the dishes. She politely declined. "So, now that you're all better, what are you going to do now?"

"I'd like to go mining to be honest." Red said. "I was actually going to go on my own with a wooden pickax I was going to make back at the house I was staying in. But, Silvia insisted I come here first. She said you could maybe…lend me a better pickax?" It had occurred to him then that he didn't really know if Silvia had cleared it with her mom to lend him anything. It was best not to come off in the wrong sort of way.

Silvia's mother stopped mid-dish, the sponge dripping water down her hand. She narrowed her eyes at Red in a concerned and serious manner. "Do you know the dangers of mining, Red?"

Of course he knew there were dangers to mining, but that was only what he'd read in a book. He knew that there were likely mobs down in whatever mine he would happen to find. Skeletons, spiders, zombies, and creepers. Even the rare enderman could appear down in the mines. Not to mention, one wrong block mined could mean a fall to your death or being melted by lava. He knew all of this, but had he ever had any experience in mining? He wasn't sure, but thought not. This would be his first time, whether he knew it or not.

Red shook his head. "Do I really know the dangers? No. The only things I know about mining came from that book I read about Minecraftia. Otherwise, I don't. But, there's something I need down in those mines." Red clenched his fist. "And I have to get it."

Silvia looked uncertainly at her mother. She stared back at her. It almost appeared to Red like they were having some sort of psychic conversation with just their eyes. After a good ten seconds, she nodded to Silvia. She apparently understood what that meant because she disappeared into the back hallway without a word.

Red was puzzled by the whole silent exchange. Silvia's mother turned to him. "We…" She sighed. "We…have lost a lot to the depths of the caves. Silvia's father, my husband…Ben...he went mining one night many years ago. We were running low on coal and winter was approaching. When he didn't come back after two days, a search party was sent to look for him. He…was never found." Emerald took a moment to regain her composure. "What they did find, was his equipment. A bag with his pickax, torches, sword, and some coal were all that was found."

Red felt horrible heartache for this woman. To have her husband stripped away from her when all he was doing was trying to get some resources for his family. Red couldn't imagine how Silvia had felt. Maybe that's why she was scared of letting him go alone with only a wooden pickax. She had lost her father to the mines. She hadn't wanted to lose another to them as well.

Red looked back towards her mother. She was standing hunched over the sink, dishes left in the sink, neglected. She looked ten years older than she was. He walked up behind her and hesitantly wrapped his arms around her waist. He squeezed tightly, not enough to choke or harm her, but enough to make her feel like she wasn't alone. In a way, he had lost family too. Not being able to remember someone kind of makes them lost to you until you see them again. And Red had no idea if he would see Sergeant Steel again or any of his other forgotten friends.

Silvia's mom was a little surprised at his gesture, but smiled in the end. She patted his arm softly, then squeezed it back. He let go and she turned around. "Thank you, Red." He nodded. Nothing had to be said.

Silvia came back from the hallways carrying what looked like an old, dusty bag. No doubt this was the bag from their father. She set it down in front of Red. It was tied together with thick spider string looped through holes cut in the leather. Red bent down over the bag and glanced at Emerald with one eye. She caught his gaze and gestured for him to open it.

Red undid the string and opened the leather bag. Inside was exactly what he thought would be in it. An almost untouched iron pickax, torches ready to be placed, a map, some food and water, and a used iron sword. The last belongings of Silvia's father and Emerald's husband. Well, minus the food and water. Red closed the bag shut tight.

"Are you sure you want to give this to me?" He asked them.

Emerald looked at Silvia. She had her head drooped down, but she nodded towards her mother. She turned her head back to Red. "We're sure."

Red thanked them. It was time to leave.

* * *

><p>A fresh blow of wind ruffled Red's short hair. He was sitting outside in front of the house he'd been staying at. He was using a piece of flint and stone to sharpen the iron sword that once belonged to Silvia's father. It was well into the morning now. Villagers, both human and peaceful mob alike, were roaming the village. Some were working the farms, some were shopping at the few village shops there were, others were just walking around enjoying the nice warm morning.<p>

Red smiled and watched as he moved the stone up and down the blade, making a distinct metal screech with each stroke. Siliva had showed him how to sharpen it before he left. The concept was simple enough. Run the stone at a diagonal stroke all the way down the blade, bring it back and repeat. He'd check it after every twenty strokes or so to check for any bumps or gaps in between the metal on the blade. Once there were none he turned it over to do the other side.

It was a slow process, but Red didn't mind. Being outside on this beautiful day was a nice enough reason to do this outside. Plus, he had Rock to keep him company. He was sitting next to him, watching him curiously as he continued to sharpen the sword.

"Wanna try it?" He asked the iron giant. He offered it the sword, hilt extended towards him, but he shook his head with a small squeak. He held out his hands to show that he couldn't grasp the sword even if he wanted to try to sharpen the sword. Red realized what Rock was trying to tell him and went back to stroking the sword. "Sorry Rock, I forgot that you don't really have hands."

There was a quiet silence between them. Red stopped sharpening and looked up to his friend. "You coming with me to the mines?" He asked. "I would understand if you didn't. I've only read about the dangers that lie in the dark caves. You might have experienced them or maybe you feel content with watching the village. Either way, I'm not going to make you come with me. You've done more for me than I can repay."

It was true. Rock had saved him from the mobs that first night when they met. Not only that, but he watched over him and the village while he was unconscious. Red understood from reading that iron golems were created as a means to protect humans and were treated as such most of the time. It was their purpose. Nevertheless, he felt gratitude toward Rock and treated him just like any other person. There had to be something there underneath all that metal. Red didn't know why, but he felt that every living thing had something in them, like humans, and had life. Even a machine like Rock deserved to be treated like anyone else.

Maybe Rock knew that, because as second later, he felt a large metal arm rest on his shoulder. Red looked back toward him and Rock nodded his head. It was much more than an agreement to come with him to the mines. They were going to be together for a good while. Friends till the end.

"Red!"

Rock's arm lifted from Red's shoulder and he looked out to find the source of the shout. Red already knew who it was. He turned around to see Silvia running towards the house. Red checked over the newly sharpened iron sword. It was clean and looked ready for battle. Red did a couple practice swings. It was very light for him for some odd reason. He may not have known how to really use it, but he understood the basics. It would due against any mobs he found anyway, if he kept his wits about him. He sheathed it before Silvia reached the front door.

"Hey Silvia. We were just about to head out. What's up?" He asked.

Silvia looked out of breath and she took a minute to rest before speaking. "I…just wanted to say goodbye. And to wish you well." She said.

Red chuckled. "Man, you ran like you thought I wasn't coming back."

Silvia's head drooped and Red mentally slapped himself for saying that. _Her father died in the mines you idiot!_ "Hey," he said in what he hoped was a comforting way, "I _will_ be coming back, you know that right?" Suddenly, before he knew what was happening, Silvia threw himself on him.

"Promise me you'll come back!" She said. "Please…my father…he…"

She was about to fall apart. Red embraced her with all the energy he had. She latched onto him, squeezing tightly. "I promise." He said. "I'll be back before you know it. And when I come back, I'll have what I need to help repay this village for all the kindness you've all shown me." They pulled apart, but Silvia was still holding him at arm's length. "Besides, I'll have Rock with me. Me and him have faced the mobs before and now I know what I'm up against. We'll be just fine."

They both looked at Rock, who was sitting behind them by the house. He twisted a curious head towards them, but then looked back at all the activity that was going on throughout the village. Silvia smiled.

"Maybe, but please…be careful." She said.

Red pulled her in for one last hug. "We will." They stood there hugging for what seemed like a long while, but it was more like a good minute. Red was glad to have Silvia as a friend. Even though they hadn't know each other for very long, he caring personality made him feel like they'd known each other since childhood. He would definitely come back. Nothing would stop him.

They pulled away from each other and said their final goodbyes. Red walked up to Rock, who rose when he approached. "Ready to go big guy?" He asked with a light punch to the giant's shoulder. Rock nodded and together they set off for the mines that were marked on the map he'd been given.

As they walked on, Red turned around to wave one last time to Silvia with a smile. She laughed and returned his wave. He waved until she faded from his sight.

* * *

><p>They didn't reach the cave until about noon. And when they did reach it, they found the entrance boarded up. Fence posts overrun with cobwebs blocked off the dark and foreboding entrance. Light seemed to disappear once it past the posts. A single sign hung in the middle stating a simple message. "Do Not Enter!"<p>

Red glanced over at Rock, who looked at him curiously. He guessed they were both thinking the same thing. Should they go in? The question seemed kind of rhetorical to Red. It didn't make sense to travel all this way just to turn back now. Besides, all they had to do was find some iron and coal and they could leave. They could handle any dangers inside.

"Well Rock, can you break it down?" Red asked his companion.

Rock nodded and moved up to the blocked entrance. He pulled back his mighty iron arm and threw it forward lazily. There was a loud bang as the fence posts and sign fell inwards and scattered across the cavern floor. There were many tiny popping sounds as the pieces reverted to their miniature forms. Rock looked back at Red with a raised eyebrow.

Red laughed. "That'll work man. Let's go."

Rock took the lead while Red got out the torches from the sack. He'd read that all he had to do was place them on the wall and they would light themselves. He didn't really believe it until he actually tried. Upon placement, the charcoal suddenly sparked on its own with an orange flare. Light bathed the stone walls in the immediate area, but dissipated after a couple yards.

"Cool."

Red's voice echoed across the walls, which made him chuckle. He almost wanted to shout down the cave just to see how far it'd go, but he didn't want to alert any nearby mobs purposefully. Rock's wreckage had probably alerted at least those in the immediate area. They didn't need any more. He quickly double checked that his sword was strapped to his scabbard. It was still there, tight and ready for use. He told Rock to move on and they ventured further into the cave.

It was quiet for the first five minutes or so. They had an abundant amount of torches, so there was no shortage of light. However, the deeper they went, the more they could hear the threatening sounds of mobs. Every so often, they would both pause at the sound of a zombie moan or the unnatural clanking of bones, but so far they hadn't encountered any trouble. Red was thankful for that.

After a good twenty minutes of searching, they finally found their first batch of coal. Red was a little surprised that it had taken them so long to find some, seeing as it was suppose to be plentiful in Minecraftia, but he figured that the other villagers had to have used this mine before them. Before it was sealed off anyway.

"Ok. Rock, I'm gonna need you to watch my back while I mine ok? Can you see?" Red asked. Rock nodded and took his place behind his friend as he mined.

Red swung the iron pickax with controlled force, trying to make as little noise as possible. It didn't help though. Each strike was like sounding a bell and the longer he sounded it, the greater the chance they might attract the attention of any mobs. He gave up trying to be quite and just mined the coal as quickly as he could. It didn't take long to mine it all. There was a good vein of about twenty coal. He put the pieces in the sack and turned back to Rock.

"Look Rock! We got coal." He said with a smile.

It disappeared quickly as an arrow shot by and planted itself an inch away from Red's skull. Instantly, he dropped the sack and drew the iron sword at his side. Red heard moaning and spider slurps coming from the darkness to their right. The skeletons were coming in through the left.

"Rock! I'll take the zombies and spiders, you take the skeletons." He yelled.

They moved until they were back to back. Partly to separate themselves for their target and partly to protect Red from the skeleton's arrows. When the first spider came charging from out of the shadows, Red was ready for it. He thrust the sword straight into the creature's gut and hurled him back into the darkness with a mighty swing. To his satisfaction, along with the dying spider cry, he heard a couple zombie grunts.

The skeletons approached Rock slowly, shooting a steady barrage of arrows at Rock, trying to get at Red behind him. They bounced harmlessly off him and as soon as one ventured too close, he smashed them to pieces with his mighty arms. Red easily disposed of the zombies once they came within range and soon there were no more hostiles to be seen.

"Alright. We're safe again. For now." Red said.

He went back and grabbed his sack from the ground, re-sheathing his sword and replacing it with more torches. They went back to their original positions and continued downwards. Unfortunately, their luck with the coal was short-lived. As they traveled further and further down, they weren't able to locate a single iron ore. They would indeed find some small deposits of coal, but once Red thought they'd had enough, it was just as useful as the stone on the walls.

After another half hour, Red called for a break. The bag was really starting to take its toll on his back and he at least needed a small respite. He set the bag down and found a suitable stone block to sit on. He leaned back against the wall. Rock settled down next to him with a loud clank. Red wasn't that worried about the noise now. If they hadn't seen any mobs since their last encounter, they were probably ok. Still, Red moved had picked a stone block behind a little bit of cover just in case of a surprise attack by on skeletons. Rock provided a barrier for his other side.

They sat in silence for as long as Red could stand it. "Hey Rock, you ever wonder about your past?" He knew that Rock couldn't really answer his question, but he could nod or shake his head. That was all he needed to keep a conversation going as far as he was concerned. Anything was better than dead silence. Rock shook his head.

"Really? You don't wander who made you? What you did before we met?" He asked earnestly. Still, Rock shook his head. "Why not?"

Rock took his large arm and pointed to himself, then the ground. At first Red couldn't figure it out. He thought about it for a moment until he realized what he was saying. "Oh, so you're saying yo'd rather focus on the present than the past?" Rock nodded. Red thought it over."Yeah, I guess so, but it still nags at me. I never had a family, but I did have people who cared for me and those I cared for. Don't you ever wonder if you'll ever see your creator again?"

Rock paused as if in thought. After a bit he nodded, but then repeated his earlier gesture. Red nodded. "So, you do wonder about it, but you'd still rather focus on what you can do now. Am I right?" He nodded. "Yeah, I agree. That's why I'm down here. I'm going to find the resources I need to make that weapon. The magnum. I don't know how I'm going to make it yet, but I figure I'll cross that bridge once I get there. Maybe I'll remember something about it once we get back. Either way, even if I have to try and build it a hundred times, I'm going to make it so I can protect those villagers in the town. They deserve as much. And who knows, maybe we can even build a wall or something around it to help keep the mobs out at night." Rock nodded adamantly, making multiple squeaking sounds as he did so. Red laughed. "Well, I reckon that's enough rest, let's get back to it. We won't find anything just sitting here."

They traveled onward. As they traveled through the darker lower levels of the cave, Red suddenly ran straight into Rock. He had apparently stopped for some reason. "Everything ok Rock?" He asked, looking up to him. Rock simply pointed his arm ahead. There was light ahead, but Red knew it couldn't be from torches. The closer they got, they soon discovered that the cave abruptly ended. Instead, there was a large open hole in the side of a cliff that dropped off into a large ravine. Red hot lava moved in a sluggish stream below. But this is not what caught Red's attention.

All around him, there were minerals and gems. Coal, iron, gold, and even the rare diamonds were scattered throughout the ravine, just ripe for the taking. Red almost let out a shout of victory until he noticed what also lurked below on the lower ledges. Mobs. Only a few and very scattered, but most of them were skeletons. And with the ledge that jutted out from their opening being so tiny, Rock couldn't venture out with him. Luckily though, they hadn't seemed to notice them yet.

Red let out a quiet sigh. They were so close to getting everything they came here for and more, but it was too dangerous to mine any of it with the mobs hanging around the lower ledges. The minute he started mining, they would be on him before he could even get one iron ore.

"Crud Rock, what do we do?" He whispered to his companion.

Rock blinked and stood still for a little bit, brow furrowed. Suddenly, his eyebrows shot up as if he'd thought of something. He moved to the nearest wall and swung his arm against it. A chunk of the wall popped and many miniature stone blocks fell to the ground. Rock gestured to the tiny blocks and made throwing motions with his arms. Of course! They'd knock the mobs off the ledges and into the lava! Red quickly grabbed a handful and headed towards the opening.

That racket Rock made had alerted them, but it was already too late. Red was already targeting all the skeletons along the nearest ledge. He hurled the first block towards the nearest skeleton. It connected directly against its skull. It twirled around dizzily, eventually losing its footing and plummeting into the lava below with an echoing sizzle. The other skeletons readied their weapons, but Rock was already ahead of them.

He dropped another fresh pile in front of Red and stood between him and the skeletons. The arrows again bounced harmlessly off him, giving Red time to ready his shots with his targets. They took them out one by one until all that was left were creepers and zombies. And besides making a bunch of noise, they couldn't hurt them. Red shouted a victory cry and held up a hand for Rock to high five. He did so lightly, but the gesture was responded to well, he could tell.

Red got mining. Iron block after iron block, taking trips to and from the sack to dump a load before heading back to mine more. There was just soo much! Red even mined a few gold blocks and diamonds for good measure. He was immediately fascinated upon mining a diamond. It sparkled in the artificial light the lava provided. It was so smooth and pure, it was mesmerizing. He pocketed the diamonds in his pockets and carried the gold back to Rock.

After the bag was completely full, Red tied it tight. "We made out pretty good here, don't ya think?" He said to Rock. He nodded. Red smiled and grabbed the bag. With a heavy heave, he lifted it onto his shoulders. Even with all the minerals shrunken down, it still weighed a ton! But he supposed a lot of that was his fault. He did mine a lot! Red would just have to deal.

"Alright Rock, let's head ho-"

Suddenly an arrow whizzed right by Red's face. He hardly had any time to be surprised as it wretched the bag from his grip, seemingly defying the laws of gravity as it flew by him and pinned itself to the cave wall opposite him. Red groaned and drew his sword, ready for any skeletons that would show their ugly, skinless faces. Only, skeletons weren't what came out from the depths.

Before Red could even contemplate what he was seeing, a human with _wings_ flew straight past him, laughing loudly. Red barely got a glimpse at him. He was dressed in all blue and the wings jutting out from his back were _bat wings!_

"Thanks for the dough guys. Really appreciate the free labor." He said, chuckling as he made his way across the ravine.

Red couldn't believe what he was seeing, but there was no time to marvel at the strange humanoid creature. It was going after the bag! "Rock," he shouted up at him, grabbing Silvia's dad's iron pick, "Throw me!" Red jumped up and Rock didn't even hesitate. He brought his arm forward for Red to land on and with a mighty twirl, threw him towards the opposite ledge, easily passing the strange man.

Red landed on the ledge, slamming the iron pick into the wall to stop himself. He quickly broke enough stone for a small opening. He withdrew the arrow from the stone, releasing the bag and hefted into the opening. He closed it up with the cobblestone that had fallen in place of the stone he'd broken.

The bat-man flew lazily over to the ledge with a sigh. "You had to make it hard for me didn't you? Now I have to take that pickax from you to get to the loot." He sounded almost like he was pouting.

Red drew his sword and readied himself in a battle stance with both weapons. "Other people need this more than you do. I can't let you take it."

The weird man smiled at him. Now that he had a good look at him, he actually saw that it wasn't a man at all. It was a boy, close to his age actually. He was dressed in a dark blue shirt with holes cut to accommodate his wings. He wore black pants and had, strangely, hazy gray eyes. It was a little unnerving to look into them, but Red didn't falter. His smile revealed he had fangs as well as teeth.

"Well, I suppose I'll just have to take them from you, shouldn't I?" He said.

**Well, that's all for chapter 4 everyone. Hope you all enjoyed it. I would please ask you to leave a review and follow/favorite to help show support. Tell you what, I'll even make a cool deal with you guys. If I can get 15 reviews before I post the next chapter (Approximately one and half to two weeks time), then I'll lower the review requirement for the animation from 400 to 150. That's only 8 reviews guys, so please let me know how you feel about this chapter and the story in general. I have high hopes! Also, please feel free to check out Necro Floodwater's story "My Dad and I". He was agreed to advertise my story in his when he writes his next chapter, so I feel that it's only fair to do the same. Like I said before, please leave me some reviews to read! I really want to make this animation, but I want something for people to anticipate! Let's do it ya'll alright? Until next time!**


	5. Strange Creatures

Chapter 5

The boy threw himself at Red with amazing speed and agility. Red barely had enough time to press himself against the stone wall to avoid the boy's deft tackle. But he didn't stop there. In mid-air, the boy turned himself around to dive at Red again. Red moved to swipe at the bat-boy with his iron sword, but he easily dodged it, using his wings to veer to the side.

With a clawed hand, he struck Red's arm, causing him to cry out in pain and drop the sword. It clanged and clung all the way down the ravine, sinking into the lava below with a sizzle. Red clutched his arm and stared back at his opponent. He was using his wings to hover over the ravine, a cocky smirk painted across his face.

"You're outmatched dude. I can fly and you have a limited space to move in. You're not going to win." He said. "It would be a lot easier if you just handed over the pickax now."

As much as Red hated to admit it, he was right. Red couldn't move around very much on this ledge and with his opponent's flight advantage, Red knew he wouldn't last much longer. Eventually he would end up just like the sword he'd just lost. And he couldn't do that, not after he promised to come back. And he wasn't coming back without that dang sack of materials.

Red straightened up and raised his pickax. "You want it?" He asked. "Fetch!"

He dropped the pickax. The bat boy instantly dove after it, but that was exactly what Red expected. Before he could talk himself out of the idea, he jumped after the bat boy. The boy caught the pickax in mid-flight and was about to rise, but Red caught his leg. The boy strained under the new added weight and flapped his wings hard just to stay hovering.

"Get off!" He shouted at Red, but there really wasn't anything he could about it. He tried moving towards a wall to knock Red off him, but about halfway there, he started descending because of the strain it put on him. He grunted with effort to keep himself hovering again. "You're going to get us both killed!"

"Then toss me the pickax!" Red shouted back to him. "You want to live? Throw it!" The boy looked at the pickax and down at lava below. With a growl, he dropped the pickax down to Red. Red just barely caught it by the end of the handle. "Good, now start swinging!"

The boy cursed to himself and slowly started swinging himself back and forth. Once there was enough momentum, Red let go and flew at the nearest stone wall. He plunged the pickax into the block as hard as he could, latching himself onto the wall. The stone cracked harshly, and with one mighty pull from Red, popped into a smaller block of itself. Red simultaneously swung his right arm to catch the empty space left by the stone block. He quickly proceeded to break the block above him and hoisted himself to the relative safety of his new hole.

The bat boy had returned to the ledge where they had fought, if you could call it that. He looked stressed out and too tired to fight on. Using his wings to keep both of them aloft must have drained the kid. Good thing too. Red didn't need to worry about another tussle with the strange boy.

Slowly, but surely, he climbed his way back up to the stop ledge where he had stashed the bag. By the time he got there, Batboy was slumped down in a sitting position, resting. Once he saw that Red was back with him, he snarled at him.

"You really know how to annoy a guy, you know?" He said.

Red couldn't believe what he was hearing. That boy had tried to steal from him, fought against him, and nearly got them killed. But somehow, this seemed to be beside the point. What really mattered was that Red had been an "annoyance" to him. He'd had never seen such arrogance.

"Yeah? Well maybe if you tried being nice and civil instead of going around trying to steal people's resources, maybe they wouldn't be such an annoyance, would they?" Red retorted back the boy.

He chuckled, like it was a game. "I always found it easier to take what I wanted. You happen to have any diamonds in that sack of yours?" He asked nonchalantly.

Again, the gall that this boy had astounded Red, asking for something he tried, once again, _to steal_! Not that he would have gotten any diamonds from the sack anyway. They were stashed inside Red's pockets. "No, I haven't." He replied as he proceeded to beat his pickax against the cobblestone blocks he used to stash the sack behind.

The boy sighed. "Damn. I was really hoping that would be my big break. My folks back home could have really used a couple of them. They're worth their weight in gold, that's for sure." He almost sounded sad. Red felt a twinge of pity for the boy, for what though, he had no idea. The boy turned to Red. "Name's Steven by the way."

"Red." He responded, not exactly sure what to say for this kid's strange manner. First, he tried stealing from him and acted like a jerk and now he was talking as if they'd just bumped into each other on a mining trip. Steven was certainly a strange guy. Physically and mentally. He hauled out the sack from his hole. Steven didn't make any attempt to try and snatch it from him. He really must have been only after diamonds.

"I was only after you because I wanted to see if you had any diamonds. I was gonna let you have the rest back." He said to Red, confirming his thoughts.

"Doesn't make it any more right." Red said to him. "I don't care if all you wanted was the stone in my sack, stealing is wrong no matter what you take." He set the sack down on the ledge and walked over to Steven. He sat down next to him, careful in case he decided to try anything. He didn't. "What did you want those diamonds for anyway?" Red asked.

Steven sighed again. He seemed reluctant to tell Red, but he eventually spoke. "I need the diamonds for my family. You see, the place where I'm from is underground. There's a whole bunch of us bat mobs livin' down here in these tunnels. Problem is that my family is barely making ends meet. We were never rich by any means, but we always made it by." He paused. "Things started going south when the whither skeleton mobs started attacking merchant minecarts and small towns. Most merchants are scared to go mining and people down here are too scared to be hired to mine."

Red listened adamantly, but one thing puzzled him. "Wait. Did you say wither skeleton mobs? I thought they were only present on the nether."

Steven chuckled sadly. "That's where they're from, yes, but they can still come to the overworld. All they need is a nether portal and boom," he snapped his fingers, "They have a two-way ticket to here and hell. Anyway, my father was one of the few people that still dared to mine down here for minerals to sell back to our merchants." He clenched his fist and his face hardened. "He's been gone for two weeks."

That hit Red hard. At least with him, he didn't have any parents to lose. And with his amnesia, he could barely remember any of his loved ones. Even then, he still had the hope that he would be able to find them again. This kid, from how it sounded, didn't have that kind of luxury. Red could only imagine what it would feel like to lose a member of his family if he'd known them.

"I'm sorry." Red said. "For what it's worth, I never knew my parents. Matter of fact, I can't remember anything since a couple days ago. But, I…can only imagine what you're going through. And…I'm sorry…about your father."

Steven turned away from Red and ran an arm across his face. "Have a piece of dirt in my eye." He muttered. When he turned to face Red again, he looked normal again. "Listen man, I'm sorry for attacking you. I just wanted…to try and help my family. I know it doesn't make it anymore right, but…you get the point anyway."

Steven rose to his feet and stretched his arms. His wings extended out and back, like he was stretching them as well. He looked like he was about to leave. Red thumbed the diamonds in his pocket. _He needs them a lot more than I do._ Steven was about to push off the ledge.

"Wait!" Red said, taking the gems out of his pocket. He opened his palm and held them out to him. "You wouldn't have gotten them even if you'd taken my sack, just to let you know." He said in a teasing voice.

For the first time since they'd met, Steven let a true smile spread across his face. He reached out cautiously towards the blue gems, looking once again at Red for confirmation. He nodded and Steven took the three rocks from his hand. He looked at them in wonder, much like Red had done when he'd first gotten them. He clenched them tight in his fist.

"Thanks…Red." He said. He held out his free hand. "I hope that maybe the next time we meet, it can be as friends?"

Red smiled. He took the boy's hand and gave it a firm shake. "I look forward to it. I'll be staying at the village above ground. It's close by."

"I know it. Nice little town. Even nicer people. I'll have to stop by sometime." He said. He released Red's hand and with one mighty flap of his wings, he was airborne.

Red watched him fly away for as long as he could. He bowed his head and closed his eyes. _Lord, please watch over that boy as he flies back to his family. May they be kept safe under your wing._ Red opened his eyes wide in surprise. Where did that come from? Other than hearing the name in a dream, he'd hardly knew who this "Lord" was. Now he had asked him to watch over Steven and his family? Despite his confusion, he felt a sense of ease inside. A satisfying feeling that he couldn't explain. As crazy as it sounded, perhaps this "Lord" could watch over him as well.

He grabbed a good portion of cobblestone from his sack. He was going to have to make a small bridge to walk across to get to the other side and back to Rock. He moved to the edge of the ledge, block in hand. _Now, I think all I have to do is…_he threw the block against the side of the ledge. _Pop!_ It extended into a full size block.

"Cool" Red said aloud.

He slowly and carefully made his way across the ravine, placing each cobblestone block with care. Red was about three quarters of the way to the ledge. He bent over to reach into his sack for another block when he felt a sudden brush of air whiz past his back. He reared back up immediately, looking for his new threat. He spied it off to the far left. A single skeleton glared at him while it loaded another arrow.

Red barely had time to dodge as another arrow whizzed past his chest. Except, that dodge cost him his footing. Red waved his arms back and forth, desperately trying to regain his balance. It wasn't happening. He felt his foot leave the stone bridge and air rushing past him. He flailed his arms out, desperately trying to grab onto something.

Amazingly enough, his hand caught on another ledge that just barely jutted out some six blocks above the lava pit. The jerk and force that impacted his arm nearly caused him to let go, but he held on for all he was worth. _Smack!_ He wasn't catching a break. Another arrow smacked the stone right next to his arm. It dropped into the lava with a sizzle.

Red quickly hoisted himself up despite the pain in his arm, barely dodging another arrow that was aimed at the spot where he'd been hanging seconds before. He started running across the ledge, but there was nowhere to go. It ended after ten blocks or so. He ducked as another arrow struck the stone above his head, nearly taking some hair away with it.

Something shook at his side. The pickax! He tore it from his belt and dodged yet another arrow before he started slamming it into the first piece of stone he saw. In less than ten seconds, he was inside the cave wall. He barricaded the hole with the two cobblestone blocks he received. Just in time too, because he heard another slap the stone surface he'd just plugged up.

Red slumped down in his little hole, exhausted after such a dangerous endeavor. He'd been so close to not keeping his promise to Silvia. He'd almost died! Red tried hard to steady his breathing and calm down. Getting worked up in such a small area couldn't be a good thing. He didn't need a panic attack or anything like that, especially now.

_Ok, calm down. You're alive, you're ok. Now think clearly. You've got to get back to Rock._ Yes, he needed to get himself back up to the cave. Then, they could use the same strategy as before to take out any more skeletons, grab the sack, and get back to the village. It sounded easy enough and when Red regained his composure, he got to his feet. He lifted the pickax and swung against the stone in moderate, rhythmic swings. Stone blocks popped away as he made his way forward, wanting to pop up into the cave instead of being exposed by popping out in the side of the cliff when he made his journey upward.

Red decided one more block should be enough before he started for the cave. With a few last swings, he broke through the stone block in front of him…and was astonished. The stone that fell away brought forth a small miniature cavern, barely big enough to walk in, but that wasn't what astonished him the most. Sitting a short distance away was a black rectangle. Except, it glowed. It glowed purple! Small particles floated away from it and he could faintly hear the sounds of muted mutterings that were incoherent to him.

Red stared in wonder at the spectacle and slowly approached the black rectangle. This must be the nether portals he'd read about in the encyclopedia. The paintings in the book didn't do it justice though. It was both a beautiful and terrifying site to behold. And the closer he got, the louder the mutterings became. Almost like they were beckoning him to come closer and closer.

Suddenly, something changed. The purple portal began to flicker and Red, dealing with something he was unfamiliar with, ran to what he assumed was the back end of the portal and pressed himself against the cold, black stone. Red didn't know why, but he had a sneaking suspicion that someone or something was coming out from that portal

"Agh! Would you move it along already?" He heard a voice say.

"Well if you'd try being a little kinder, maybe I'd consider it." Another voice snarled.

"Alright you two, cut it out. Let's get going. I want to go and finish this mission as soon as possible."

"Fine. Move out!"

Red heard footsteps receding away from him as well as swings from another pickax striking stone. He heard the sound of stone being placed back in place and he let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He peeked around the portal to see that he was once again alone.

Although he hadn't heard much, the manner and tone of which that short conversation held didn't sound like their "mission" was going to be a good thing. He needed to get back to Rock as soon as possible and get out of here and back to the village.

So, after stacking a couple blocks up, he began working his way up the wall, his determining to get back to town and the thoughts of the strange men driving him all the way up.

**Hey guys! MERRY CHRISTMAS! I'm sorry for such a short entry, but I wanted to post something for Christmas and, well, here it is. I am sorry for the late entry as well, but with the holidays coming and going, I was very busy making gifts and studying for finals to work on this as much as I wanted to. Hopefully, over the vacation, I can make better progress now that the holidays are pretty much through. Have a great rest of your Christmas and if I don't post again by New Year's then Happy New Year! Until next time.**


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